LONDON, July 7, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --
11health, an award-winning British medical technology business, has announced the UK availability of the first ever patient-developed medical technology device: Ostom-i Alert, to help the 20,000 people in the UK that undergo stoma surgery annually. It will address conditions resulting in stoma surgery including: colorectal cancer, bladder cancer, ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease.
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The Ostom-i Alert will help patients, and their families, self-manage their Ostomy. The device clips to an Ostomy bag and sends data to an app that will send out a personalised alert, indicating how full the bag is, to prevent both fluid and solid leakage, so patients can decide if and when to empty them. This means patients can avoid embarrassing situations when out, or in particular when asleep. Patients can also use the device to send output levels automatically to nurses and clinicians.
The device allows hospitals to remotely monitor the patients through a shared Cloud based portal. This allows potential dehydration and blockage problems to be diagnosed earlier by clinicians, which could reduce both nursing time and hospital re-admission rates. Patients and clinical staff can track and share real-time patient data about the volume of output over specific time periods. This view of a patient's day-to-day experience will help doctors adjust medication and promote healthy self-management.
Michael Seres, a long-term patient turned innovator who founded 11health, created the Ostom-i Alert device from his hospital bed, after he was the 11th person in the UK to undergo a small bowel transplant in 2011. The firm recently secured Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval in the US and has been approved for patient use.
Michael Seres, managing director, 11Health, said: "Being a patient isn't easy, especially for those who suffer from long term chronic bowel conditions, like myself. Given the increasing pressures faced by healthcare systems and staff globally, I couldn't believe that there was no simple technology device to manage the accidents and embarrassment of overflowing bags for patients, and save time for clinical teams whilst providing real-time patient data to monitor outpatient progress."
Michael continued, "Patient self-management is a growth area, as healthcare systems buckle under the weight of people living longer and rising hospital costs. With the availability of the Ostom-i Alert, bowel patients will no longer suffer from unnecessary accidents and will be able to live as normal lives as possible. The device, developed 'by patients for patients', sends information to health professionals to simplify patient monitoring, and we estimate it can save 33% of current NHS stoma care costs."
Georgios Vrakas, Consultant Transplant Surgeon, Small Bowel Transplantation Oxford University Hospital Trust, said: This product is inspirational. Something so simple in concept, yet so incredibly useful. This was tricky to invent, but through sheer determination Michael has created something that should become standard issue for every ostomy patient. There is no question that it will be life changing for millions of bowel disease sufferers."
The device, for which the business has a patent, is manufactured in Lancaster (UK) and Utah (USA). The device can be bought online and costs £75.00 per unit. It clips on to any type of ostomy bag sending Bluetooth alerts to an app on the users' mobile device when the bag hits a set limit. Patients can set individual alerts as to when they wish to be notified. Each device lasts up to three months and the app is available on iOS and Android.
About 11health
11health is a fast-growing British medical technology business, founded in 2013 by Michael Seres. Michael was diagnosed with the incurable bowel condition Crohn's Disease aged 12. After over 20 operations and intestinal failure he became the 11th person to undergo a small bowel transplant in the UK at The Churchill Hospital, Oxford, England. His own experience as an ostomy patient led him to designing the initial Ostom-i prototype whilst recovering from transplant.
A published author and professional speaker Michael was a Stanford Medicine X e-patient scholar (2011) and develops patient engagement strategies for hospitals, primary care trusts and patient groups. He has a background in consumer product licensing and merchandising having worked with major brands such as Fifa, UEFA, The X Factor and The Apprentice. He is the patient lead for the main UK health twitterchat #NHSSM & digital strategy advisor to The Oxford Transplant Foundation where he helped implement the first skype clinics.
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